Tour Group season is upon us

[Victor Kelly]

Just being July is enough to keep us away. My wife does not do very well in high heat and high humidity. We prefer January since it is cooler and a lot less crowded.

One point here. The European toursist be they singles, families or groups are a lot more easy to deal with than the South American groups. Brazil, Puerto Rico to name two that I have seen to be unruly, rude, loud, and generally irritating. Try waiting for an hour for Space Mountain to only hear OOOH AHHH Puertoooo Ricoooo shouted at high volume. We left, complained to the CMs who shook their heads then handed us fastpasses.

Can Americans be just the same? You better believe it. Percentage wise, I am sorry, but the small percentage of people in tour groups compared to the rest of the visitors create more havoc than the rest of the Americans and Europeans combined at WDW.

Why do you think they put them in one part of a specific hotel? Cough Cough All Stars.

 

[Mr Anderson]

Never Again! We went one year and a group running towards the exit of MK trampled my family. One of them fell into our carriage and I was just so grateful my husband was carrying DS. In the same trip, we wound up on the same boat with part of a group in Mexico and they got out and walked around the show scenes!! Same group also cut the whole line because they seemed to be familiar with the CM. (not that there was much of a line but they did hop in front of us and a few other families) We also had a group leader in front of us in the standby line at TOT and about halfway to the building, no less than 50 kids joined him and skipped in front of everyone. They used their phone flashlights on the ride itself.. it was really ridiculous. When I complained, they offered me a re-ride and I was told, "yeah, thats just something they do".

I know kids can be crazy when there are large groups together but this was just downright disrespectful. I'm not sure if the CM's are told not to bother them too much because I never saw anyone say anything to any of them.

That is completely unacceptable. I said this in another thread, but I hope they implement the new line-cutting policy from the Frozen meet & greet to all lines. As far as I know, the policy goes like so:
“In addition to the new rope drop procedures, WDW is also making changes to how people wait in the standby line. Your entire party must enter and be in the line for the Princess Fairy Tale Hall. No longer will WDW allow a single member of your party to wait in line while the rest of your party joins you and “cuts” in line with you at a later point. Any party doing this are asked to return to the back of the line and start all over again.”

I really hope they do implement this policy everywhere, because it really irks me when I see a group of people no matter how big or small, cut through a line I'm standing in and join their group up ahead. Several times, I've let them go, and a few times (much to the embarrassment of my wife) I've put my foot down and pulled a Gandalf, so to speak.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

This is what I don't get. It's expected for American's to tolerate what is questionable or even distasteful behavior in our country when people from other countries visit here. Then, let an American stumble into a faux pas in another country (ie. go tromping around indoors in our shoes in say Japan) and we're considered rude and boorish. Double standard much? I firmly believe if you're visiting another country it is the responsibility of the traveler to do a little homework ahead of time and be mindful of your behavior....don't feign ignorance and steamroll yourselves thru the environment you are in. It's inconsiderate, rude, and insulting. THIS is what I find the utmost in distasteful with these mobs of poorly behaved guests.

Well said. I wish the Americans would be a bit more aggressive about enforcing their standards. As it stands, you end up not just subjecting the American, but also the Asian and European visitors to the misbehaviour of the tour groups. Surprisingly, sensitivity to foreigners would demand less acceptance of culturally inappropriate behaviour by foreigners.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The interesting thing in this thread seems to be that Disney is actually addressing the problem by having those super greeters.

The super greeters are super. Most excesses seem to have been clamped down on. Except the chanting, which is partly why I mention that in every post. I don't mind their being happy and doing their teenager stuff. I also don't mind the line cutting - I can physically fight that. It is the chanting that annoys me to no end.

 

[note2001]

The super greeters are super. Most excesses seem to have been clamped down on. Except the chanting, which is partly why I mention that in every post. I don't mind the line cutting - I can physically fight that. It is the chanting that annoys me to no end.

We need tips that work~ Care to share how you physically fight line cutting?

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We need tips that work~ Care to share how you physically fight line cutting?

Ever watch the Dog Whisperer? Use your body like its a mountain that cannot be budged. Get your whole family to do it. Spread out, make a wall, and if the line skippers want to make a fuss drawing attention to themselves that's a good thing. Bring it. Most everyone around you is likely to back your story over theirs because nobody likes a line jumper.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

We need tips that work~ Care to share how you physically fight line cutting?

We should! Following SweetPea's advice, tip number two: you can never stop fifty, or five, or even two people from cutting. So what you do is: stop one. Go for the smallest one.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

The super greeters are super. Most excesses seem to have been clamped down on. Except the chanting, which is partly why I mention that in every post. I don't mind the line cutting - I can physically fight that. It is the chanting that annoys me to no end.

In December 2012, they stood (well danced) and chanted in front of the Candlelight Processional for about 15 minutes. It was a huge group too, about 250+. It was so disrespectful to the narrator, Andy Garcia, the singers, and the audience, not to mention to the content of the CP. I was shocked and disappointed that Disney management did not stop them.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We should! Following SweetPea's advice, tip number two: you can never stop fifty, or five, or even two people from cutting. So what you do is: stop one. Go for the smallest one.

Well, the people have to pass me to cut. So I stand my ground. They can say anything they want, I won't move. Eventually someone has to physically move me. As soon as I'm touched it's game-on. I'm protecting myself. If they hop the queues to go around, strategically a foot could go out. Some misfortune, an accident, is likely to happen. Oops. Guess they shouldn't do that, huh?

 

[Jakester]

Argentina VS Brazil Tour Groups at Mickey's Philharmagic:

OMG!!! That just blew my mind.

 

[Jakester]

Anyone know how FP+ works for the groups? I'm well accustomed to seeing the group leaders feeding hundreds of tickets at a time into the FP distribution machines, then they all end up riding an attraction together at the same time and cause a huge backlog. I wonder since MM+ if this has changed? Do the individuals have access to the MDE app to make their own reservations? Do the Super Greeters control reservations? Or do the leaders still have control and have all their group's tickets linked to a MDE account? Its giving me a headache just thinking about it...

At DHS, there are kiosks set aside specifically for them, even advertised.

 

[wogwog]

We should! Following SweetPea's advice, tip number two: you can never stop fifty, or five, or even two people from cutting. So what you do is: stop one. Go for the smallest one.

Go all Serengeti on the little one.

 

[Jakester]

Infact, I have a couple stories to share regarding experiences I've had with these Tour Groups.

1st: One time I went Single Rider and had the "luck" of being THE ONLY non-tour group person on the entire train. Surely enough, it was an experience I would not want to go through again anytime soon.

Another experience with them was at Epcot this past December and took a post-work walk around World Showcase before watching the Peace on Earth Illuminations finale and there was a group of atleast 75-100 from South America next to Epcots christmas tree and they were chanting(so basically acting normal). About 10-15minutes later I am standing in Japan and hear this chanting sound, with no other tour groups insight it hit me, I was hearing that same group next to the tree from ACROSS WORLDSHOWCASE LAGOON! I know Disney can't(and probably wouldn't) but when your that loud (for distance comparison, it's like the tour group is in Town Square at MK and you're hearing them near Mermaid/Storybook Circus) IMO Disney NEEDS to have higher managers come out and try and restore peace.

 

[Rinx]

We could probably expect more tour groups from more countries at more times of year thanks to POTUS wanting to make it easier for foreigners to visit.

 

[bethymouse]

That video of Brazil vs. Argentina is just too much! I really would have had to leave. I can't imagine how very loud it must have been. Now that is something IMHO that Disney should have tried to have them stop or have asked them to leave or something! I dunno.....

 

[cw1982]

Infact, I have a couple stories to share regarding experiences I've had with these Tour Groups.

1st: One time I went Single Rider and had the "luck" of being THE ONLY non-tour group person on the entire train. Surely enough, it was an experience I would not want to go through again anytime soon.

Another experience with them was at Epcot this past December and took a post-work walk around World Showcase before watching the Peace on Earth Illuminations finale and there was a group of atleast 75-100 from South America next to Epcots christmas tree and they were chanting(so basically acting normal). About 10-15minutes later I am standing in Japan and hear this chanting sound, with no other tour groups insight it hit me, I was hearing that same group next to the tree from ACROSS WORLDSHOWCASE LAGOON! I know Disney can't(and probably wouldn't) but when your that loud (for distance comparison, it's like the tour group is in Town Square at MK and you're hearing them near Mermaid/Storybook Circus) IMO Disney NEEDS to have higher managers come out and try and restore peace.

I agree 100%. It's a shame that everything has to be so politically correct these days that people are afraid to do what needs to be done in certain cases. In the chanting around the lagoon incident that you are describing, I'm almost positive that managers would have been uncomfortable with saying anything to try and stop the chanting because they would then be labeled as "intolerant of other cultures." So, instead of the small group being prevented from disrupting the peace for everyone, the rest of the public's experience during Illuminations is tainted.

I'm all for following the guideline of "live and let live" and minding my own business when someone else's actions aren't impacting others, but Illuminations is such a neat show, and part of that show is the sounds that go along with it (mainly the music), so of course that experience is altered when people are chanting. And how ridiculous that they were so loud that you could hear them from across the lagoon! That's just inconsiderate. So yes, something should have been done, but in a day and age when being PC is everything, it won't happen.

 

[SAV]

I just got back from WDW and only saw a couple of groups. I was pleasantly surprised. The only chanting we heard was when we were leaving MK as Wishes ended. They were at the TTA heading towards the busses/parking area.

I'm so glad we didn't have any of the problems so many others have experienced.

 

[Kate Alan]

Infact, I have a couple stories to share regarding experiences I've had with these Tour Groups.

1st: One time I went Single Rider and had the "luck" of being THE ONLY non-tour group person on the entire train. Surely enough, it was an experience I would not want to go through again anytime soon.

*raises hand* RnRC. God help me, never again. Although I did manage to loop that ride five times in the single rider line before they managed to segue over from ToT. The only good thing is the initial take-off of the coaster shut 'em all up REAL quick.

I agree that it's the chanting that bugs the most...especially since you can't hear anything over it. It's bad when you can't talk to other members of your own party, but it especially bugs me when they do it during rides - I've been in the ToT video room and the HM stretching room with tour groups and some of them don't even shut up then. I go at least once a year, but for people for whom this is their only trip to Disney? Don't ruin it by chanting over all the ride narration.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

@Jakester - We too have heard them from across the World Showcase Lagoon. You could hear them more clearly than the person standing next to you. I will say the that the groups I have seen misbehaving, have been the teenage-only ones, with just one flag holder.

I was happy to see smaller groups, with super greeters this past week.

 

[note2001]

@Jakester - We too have heard them from across the World Showcase Lagoon. You could hear them more clearly than the person standing next to you. I will say the that the groups I have seen misbehaving, have been the teenage-only ones, with just one flag holder.

I was happy to see smaller groups, with super greeters this past week.

Sounds like super greeters are working (knock on wood!)